Door holder



July 16, 1929. v w. w. MYERS 3 DOOR HOLDER I Filed Sept. 30, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 1 ATTORNEYS y 1 1929- w. w. MYERS- 1,721,257

DOOR HOLDER Filed Sept. 30, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN ENTbR ATTORNEYS Patented July 16, 1929.

warren s'rarss eras Eric.

WINTER W. MYEEs, OF WEST SHORE, LAKE HOPATCONG, NEW J EsEY, assienon TO AUSTRAL WINDOW COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, E. Y., A coEroEA'rIon 0F MAINE.

DOOR HOLDER.

Application filed September 30, 1925. Serial No. 59,459.

My invent-ion relates to a door holder capable of holding the door open or partly open,

and also capable of automatically holding the door in any desired position when moved from any other position. My invention furthere contemplates a device which is adapted, automatically and without adjustment by the hand or foot, to perform the functionsof offering no resistance to the opening of the door, offering a temporary resistance to the closing of the door in any open or partly open position, of yielding to a sufficiently strong push or pull on the door when it is desired to close it and of assuming an inoperative position after it so yields, so that it is ready to perform the first mentioned function of non-resistance.

One of the more important features of my invention resides in the construction and operation of the foot member and in the method of attaching the same to the leg member of the device so that the thrust of the spring member is automatically transmitted to the broad corrugated bearing surface of the foot member, preferably of rubber or some similar material, regardless of the angle of the leg member or the variation of the floor level within a predetermined range depending upon the construction, efficiency and resiliency of the spring member.

Further objects, advantages and features of construction and operation will more fully appear from the detailed description below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a door holder embodying my invention, the same being attached in operative position to the lower portion of the door, the holder being in the position that it ordinarily takes when the door has been moved from open to closed position.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the device in the position whichit assumes in the act of opening the door.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the holder in the position which it assumes when the door has been opened a sufficient distance to render the device operative to hold the door in open position substantially at that point.

Fig. 4L illustrates the holder in the position which it assumes with the bearing surface of the footmember in contact with the floor surface brought about by a slight closing move ment of the door from the position illustrated in Fig. 3. j

Fig. 5 illustrates the positions assumed by the leg member and the foot member due to a variation in the floor level.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate the construction, mode of attachment and the relation of parts of the foot member and the leg member.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference numeral 10 designates the lower end of a conventional form of door to which the device is attached. The device itself is com posed essentially of three members, to wit, a spring member 11, a foot member 12, and a foot member 13. The spring member 11 is attached to the door 10 preferably by means of a plurality of screws 14; passing through vertical slots 15 in the spring member 11. The object of providing the slots 15 is to not only facilitate the assembling of the device in properly adjusted position in the door 10 but for the purpose of enabling the device to be subsequently adjusted due to the variation in the relative position of the floor level and the door itself. 1

The spring member 11 is attached to the leg member 12 by means of a suitable pivot 16 anchored in the bent over portionor bearing 17 of the spring member 11. This pivot 16 passes through an S-shaped slot in the leg member 12 which slot comprises the portions 18, 19 and 20. Normally, the pivot 16 passes through the portion 18 of said $-shaped slot. The function of the portions 19 and 20 of the S-shaped slot will more fully appear hereinafter.

For reasons which will also hereinafter appear, the foot member preferably comprises a reinforcing metallic member 21 and the covering 22 of some suitable friction material. This friction material 22 is preferably rubber vulcanized to the. reinforcing metallic member 21. The covering 22 is corrugated on the bottom of the foot member where it contacts with the floor so as to increase the friction between the latter and the foot member. As a whole, the foot member comprises a base 23 and upwardly extending parallel ears 24: and 25. The lower end of the leg 12 is normally located between and pivoted to the ears 24 and 25. The foot. member is provided be tween and at the bottom of the ears 2a and 25 with a surface 26. The leg member is provided with two heels 27 and 28 which contact with the surface 26 whenever the foot memher is moved for a predetermined distance in either direction about its pivotal point 29. The heels 27 and 28 of the leg member 12, and the surface 26 of the foot member 13 prevent the latter from assuming an angle with reference to the leg that would make the device ineffectiv-e. For instance, should the foot assume a position at right angles to the leg in either direction it would not ordinarily automatically adjust itself with the surface of the floor. It will therefore. be seen that the construction of the foot member and the lower end of the legmember, together with the cooperation and relation of the parts ust described, is an important feature of my 111- vention.

Reference has been previously made to the portions 19 and 20 of the S-shaped slot in the leg member 12. The primary purpose of this is to enable the door to be freely opened without the necessity of flexing the spring member 11. Another purpose of this is to enable the leg member 12 to be moved upwardly so that the upper portion of the slot 20 will rest upon the pivot member 16 to render the device inoperative to hold the door in open or partly open position. Of course 1t is to be understood that the device can also be rendered inoperative to hold the door in open or partly open position by the rotation of the leg member 12 about the pivot 16 as a centre until it assumes the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have devised a door holder which is effective under all conditions of'operation and always positive in its action.

Tests have shown that the broad corrugated surface on the foot with the leg set at an accurate angle very efiectively holds the door in any adjusted position on extremely smooth surfaces such as glass and polished floor surfaces as well as on concrete and on wood. It is also to be understood that moving the door from any position in which it may be held by the device towards its closing position, it is only necessary to exert a sufficient push or pull, as the case may be, to overcome the resiliency of the spring member 11.

I have illustrated and described herein what I now consider to be the preferred embodiment of my invention but it is to be nn derstood that I do not limit myself thereto as other changes may be made in points of detail and other embodiments resorted to without deviating from the true spirit and scope of my invention as defined by the annexed claims.

\Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. In a door holder, a flexible spring, a

swingable leg member freely pivoted thereto, a foot member pivoted to the leg member and having means thereon cooperating with means on the leg member to limit its movement in both directions to an effective position, said leg and foot members forming a toggle of two elements. I

2. A door holder comprising a flexible spring member, a swingable leg member one end of which is pivoted to the spring member, and a floor-engaging foot member pivoted to the other end of said swingable leg member, in combination with means on said swingable leg member cooperating with means on said floor-engaging foot member to confine the movement of the latter in either direction about its pivot to an effective position.

In a door holder, a flexible spring, a

swingable leg member freely pivoted thereto and inclinable towards or from the door, a floor engaging member freely pivoted to said leg member, and cooperating means on the leg and foot members for confining the movement in either direction of said foot member to an effective position. i. A door holder having incombination a spring member adapted to be attached to a door and the like so as to extend away therefrom, a swingable leg member, a slot and pin connection between said members, one of the members having the slot and the other having the pin, ashoulder projecting into the slot by which the leg member is held down, and a foot member for engagement wit-l1 the floor pivoted to the leg member and having .means thereon cooperating with means on the leg member to limit its movementin both directons, said leg and foot members forming a. toggle of two elements.

5. A door holder having in combination a spring member adapted to be attached to a door and the like so as to extend away therefrom, a swingable leg member, and a foot member having a flat base for engagement with the floor and pivoted to the leg member, said foot member having means thereon cooperating with means on the leg member to confine its movement in both directions to 0p erable positions and forming with the leg member a toggle of two elements.

6. A door h'older having in combination a spring member adapted to be attached to a door and the like, a swingable leg member, a slot and pin connection between said members, one of said members having the slot and the other the pin, a shoulder projecting into the slot by which the leg member is held down, and a foot member having a flat base for engagement with a substantial surface of the floor and pivoted to said leg member, said footmember also having means thereon cooperrating with means on the leg member to limit its movement in both direct-ions and forming with the leg member a toggle of two elements.

7. In a door holder a flexible spring, a

swingable leg member freely pivoted thereto, a foot member pivoted to the leg member and having means thereon cooperating with means on the leg member to confine its movement in both directions about its pivot to operable positions, said foot member being also provided with a flat base of yielding friction In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 1 my hand and affixed my seal this 28 day of September, 1925.

WINTER V. MYERS. 

